Corner guard for tables and the like



March 27, 1934. R. c. ELLISv CORNER GUARD FOR TABLES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 23, 1931 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORNER GUARD FY'ETABLES AND THE This invention relates to a corner guard for tables and the like and is designed more particularly for application to a desk, display table or other similar structure.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which can be readily applied to or removed from, such a table or desk, for the purpose of providing lateral support for articles piled upon the table so as to retain those articles on the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device with means for rigidly but detach-V ably mounting the same on the table with the upper portion thereof projecting above the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the two parts which extend along the respective edges of the table will be separably or movably connected one to the other so that the two'parts may be placed in angular relation when applied to the table but may be extended into a common plane or placed one upon the other to provide a compact package for shipping or storage.

V 'y A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the two parts thereof are adjustableto enable them to be extended different distances along the edges of the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be simple'inY its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and attractive in appearance Other objects or" the invention will appear as the device is described in detail. Y y

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective View o1" a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 isa vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modiiied form of the invention; and'Fig. 5 is a detailview of a modified form of attaching device.

In the drawing I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the' .construction here shown the device comprises two guard members 6 adapted to be placed along the respective edges of a table or the like and each having one end adjacent to the corner of the table. Each guard member is provided with'means for detachably securing it to the table and preferably the lower portion of each member is provided with inwardly extending flanges '7 and 8 adapted to project respectively above and below the table top. One ange of each pair, preferably the lower flange, is provided with a clamping device to engage the ad-A I jacent surface of the table top and draw the other flange into rm engagement with the opposite surface of the table top, thereby clamping the guard members rigidly to the table. AS shown in Fig. l, the clamping members are in the form of thumb screws 9 and in Fig. 5 the clamping member is shown as a cam 10 pivotally mounted cn the lower flange 8 and provided with a handle ll for manipulating the sam'e.

Preferably the two guard members 6 are connected one to the other so as to form a unitary structure and brace each guard member against the other guard member, thereby providing the device with greater rigidity. Any suitable form of connection may be utilized butin order that the device may bev packed in a relatively compact bundle for shipping and storage I prefer that the connection'should be of such a character as to permit the two guard members either to be extended into a common plane orto be Yplaced one upon the other in parallelism. For this purpose the two guard members are shown as hinged one to the other, each guard member having a series of hinge members or bearings 12 arranged alternately with` similar hinge members on the other guard member and adapted to receive a hinge pin 13. Withthis construction the guard members may be readily moved either to their normal angular relation, when applied to the table, or they may be moved into alinement one with the other, or they may befolded back to back. Further, the hinge pin 13 is removable and the two guard members may be thus separated and packed in any desired manner.

It is also desirable that thev guard members should be adjustable in length so that they may be accommodated to the needs of different users and, as here shown, each guard member 6 is provided with an adjustable part 6 which is so connected with the main part 6 of the guard member that it may be moved toward and from the corner of theV table. In the arrangement here shown, the guard members are formed of sheet metal and the flange on the extensible part 6 of each guard member is slidably supported upon the flange 8 of thevmain member 6L The upper edge of the main guard member 6 is turned inwardly and downwardly'to provide a guideway 14 in which the upper `edge of the extensible part 6 is slidably mounted. Thus it will be apparent that the effective length of the guard member may be readily varied. In the present arrangement the flanges '7 and 8 are formed in part upon the extensible parts of the guard members and in part on the main parts of the guard members and thus when the device is clamped to the table top the parts will be held firmly in their adjusted positions. However, it is preferable that means be provided for retaining the extensible parts in their adjusted positions and for this purpose the lower flange 8 of each extensible part 6 has mounted therein a screw 15 which extends through a slot 16 in the iiange 8 of the main guard member 6 and has mounted thereon a thumb nut 17 by means of which the two flanges may be firmly clamped together. The upper flange 7 which engages the upper surface of the table may be lined with felt or the like, as shown at 18, to prevent marring the surface of the table. The guard members may be of any suitable length and the members which extend lengthwiseof the table may be of such length that when extended their combined length will be approximately the length of the table but when it is desired to extend the guard along the full length of the rear edge of the table this may be conveniently effected by mounting a single adjustable member 19 in the main guard members 6 arranged at opposite ends of the table, as shown at 19 in Fig. 4. With such an arrangement the guard may be adjusted to various lengths and will provide a continuous guard along the rear edge of the table from one end thereof to the other.

The guardmembers are conveniently formed of sheet metal as shown but it will be obvious that they may be of skeleton formation or of any other suitable arrangement or material.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A corner guard for a table comprising a pair of upright guard members adapted to be supportedalong the respective edges of the table with their adjacent ends near the corner of said table, said guard members being longitudinally extensible, and means arranged near the lower portions of said guard members for detachably securing the same to said table. p

2. A corner guard for a table comprising a pair of upright guard members arranged in angular relation and having their adjacent ends connected one to the other, each guard member comprising two parts slidably connected one to the other for longitudinal adjustment, and means carried by the lower portions of said guard members for clampingthe same to the respective edges of the table.

3. A corner guard for a table comprising two plates of sheet metal hinged one to the other and adapted to embrace a corner of the table, a second plate slidably mounted on each of the first mentioned plates for adjustment toward and from said hinged connection, eachof said second plates having near its lower edge parts extending respectively above and below the table top, and clamping members cooperating with said parts to secure said plates to the respective edges of said table top.

4. A corner guard for a table comprising a pair of relatively short uprightV guard members arranged'in angular'relation and adapted to extend from a corner of said table top along the rspective edges thereof, means for pivotally connecting the adjacent ends of said members one to the other, and means carried by the lower portions of said guard members to secure the same to said table top.

5. In a corner guard for a table comprising a pair of relatively short upright guard members arranged in angular relation, adapted to extend along the respective edges of the table top near a corner thereof and having their adjacent ends connected one to the other, elongated flanges carried by the lower portions of the respective guard members and arranged to extend inwardly and to rest upon the table top, and operable clamping members mounted on the respective guard members to engage the lower surface of the table top and draw said flanges into rm engagement with the upper surface thereof.

6. A corner guard for a table comprising a pair of guard members adapted to embrace a cerner of a table top and to extend from said corner rela.- tively short distances along the respective edges of saidtable top, the lower portion of each guard member extending downwardly across the adjacent edge of said table top and the upper portion of each guard member projecting above saidvvtable top, and means carried by said lower portions ofsaid members for detachably securingy the same to said table top.

'7. A corner guard for a table comprising a pair of guard members adapted to embrace a corner of a table top and to extend from said corner rela-1 tively short distances along the respective edges of said table top, the lower portion of each guard member extending downwardly across the adjacent edge of said table top and the upper portion of each guard member projecting above said table top, the lower portion of eachguard member having inwardly extending parts to receive the adjacent edge of each table top between them, and clamping means carriedby one of said parts to detachably secure said member to said tablev top.u

8 A corner guard for a table comprising ay pair of guard members adaptedto embrace a corner of atable top and to extend from said corner rela-V tively short distances along the respective edges of said table top, the lower portion of eachguard member extending downwardly across the adjacent edge of saidtable top kand the upper portion of each guard member projecting above said table top, and separate means for detachably securing the lower portions of the respective guard members to said table top, said means constitutingY the sole support for saidmembers, the adjacent, ends,4 of said members beingconnected one to theother to bracesaid members against relatively lateral displacement.

9. A corner` guard for a table comprising a pair of guard members adapted to embrace a corner of a table top and to extend from said corner relatively short distances along the respective edges of said table top, the lower portion of each guardmember extending downwardly across the adjacent edge of said table top and the upper portion of each Yguard member projecting above said table top, separate means for detachably securingthe lower portions of the respective guard members to said table top, and means for connecting the.

adjacent ends of said members one to the other to1 brace said members against relative laterall displacement, said connecting means being of ,such a character that said members may be. arranged in substantially parallel relation one to theotl'ier top, separate means for detachably securing the lower portions of the respective guard members to said table top, and means for connecting the adjacent ends of said members one to the other to brace said members against relative lateral displacement, said connecting means being separable to enable said members to be arranged one above the other when they have been detached from said table top.

ROY C. ELLIS. 

